An endless happy chase

Watching butterflies or butterflying' is a very exciting pursuit, especially in India, which is indeed a butterfly lovers' paradise with o...

Watching butterflies or butterflying8217; is a very exciting pursuit, especially in India, which is indeed a butterfly lovers8217; paradise with over 1,500 species ranging from the translucent Snow Apollos in the Himalayas to the large Southern Birdwing of the moist tropical forests of the Western Ghats.

The best part of butterflying is that, unlike birds, butterflies are late risers. So one does not have to scramble out of the bed early. Usually it is only an hour after the sunrise when most butterflies begin to show up. That is when they could be seen basking in the sun to raise their body temperature.

Approaching butterflies on cool mornings, therefore, is much easier, but not so as the sun climbs up. Then they are very alert and evasive.

Hot days will bring thirsty butterflies on damp patches. And do not be surprised, if several types of butterflies do not visit flowers at all.

Instead, you may see them on over-ripe rotting fruits, bird droppings, animal dung and urine, oozing tree sap or even a dead crab. If in a garden, waiting near roses, gladioli or chrysanthemums will be a disappointment, as these flowers are not butterfly flowers. But a patch of wild lantana will draw several of these winged jewels. Of course, garden flowers like marigold, cosmos, periwinkle Vinca rosea, Mexican sunflower Tithonial, Plumbago, Verbena, Poinsettia and cockscomb will surely attract butterflies.Though most butterflies are active in the mornings till late in the afternoon, some have their own favourite flying time. Some skippers and browns, like the Evening Brown, are active at dawn and dusk. Even Painted Lady and Plum Judy have been seen actively chasing each other at dusk. Butterflies like Yellow, Blue, Peacock, Grey Pansies and Joker prefer open places. Sailors, Eggflies, Chocolate, Lemon Pansies, Common Gull, Jezebels, Common Mormon and Common Rose are usually seen at the woodland8217;s edge. However, some butterflies like the Gaudy Baron, Oak Leaf, and several swallowtails are exclusively forest dwellers. Tree and bush browns, several skippers and blues, prefer to stay amongst the undergrowth.

A place like Mumbai itself boasts of 150 species of butterflies ranging from the handsome Blue Mormon, the gorgeous Gaudy Baron to the smallest of all, the Grass Jewel. However more than half of these can only be seen in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, especially the forest dwelling species. In and around Bangalore the butterfly list can be up to 140, while in Pune and the hills around it has about 120 butterflies and in Delhi 80 species have been listed.

Otherwise empty looking drier places come alive during and after rains. Joker, Blue Pansy, Crimson Tip, Crimson Rose, Lime, Painted Lady, Emigrants and some tiny Grass Blues become abundant all over.

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The best time is obviously after the monsoon when there is plenty of plantlife for their caterpillars to feed on.

With butterflying, one soon starts picking up botany too, as butterflies are the best botanists. Each species has a specific food plant on which their caterpillars feed on. And finding and knowing about the early stages of butterflies too can be an absorbing part of butterflying. The caterpillar8217;s adaptations to escape its enemies is very interesting. Locating an invisible caterpillar of the Gaudy Baron on the mistletoe leaf or the bird-dropping caterpillar of the mormons on the lemon, add to the thrills of butterflying. Finding a glittering pupa of the Crow or Glassy Tiger or stumbling upon the perfect twig-like pupa of the Mime can be real bonus. But nothing can be more magical than to witness the emergence of a butterfly.